EFFECT OF FOLIAR SPRAY OF ASCORBIC ACID ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF APRICOT TRANSPLANTS CV. "LABEEB".

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the fruit nursery of College of Agriculture / Tikrit University , during the 2012 growing season , to study the effect of spray with ascorbic acid and number of sprays on vegetative growth characteristics of Apricot transplants cv. "Labeeb" , which grown on apricot seedling rootstocks . R.C.B.D. was used to apply seven treatments that an interactions between three concentrations of ascorbic acid ( 125 , 250 and 375 mg.L-1 ), number of sprays ( 2 and 4 times in the growth season ) and control treatment . The apricot transplants responded to spray of ascorbic acid especially with higher concentration and number of sprays . The treatments T5 and T7 ( four times spray with 250 mg.L-1 and four times spray with 375 mg.L-1 respectively ) increased significantly all vegetative growth characteristics ( single leaf area, total leaves area , main stem diameter, transplant height , diameter and length of branches ) , while the increment for number of branches was insignificant . The best results were in T7 treatment .